Thirty-three killed in gang war in Mexico

Monterrey: Mexico`s northern state of
Nuevo Leon, home to the industrial city of Monterrey, saw 33
killings, in the most violent day in recent history, officials
said.

The prosperous region, home to many foreign companies,
was until recently considered a safe haven as drug violence
increased in parts of Mexico.

But a bloody turf war between the Gulf cartel and its
former hit men the Zetas has spilled into the state in less
than two years, producing daylight shootouts, grenade attacks
and a climate of fear.

A spokesman for Nuevo Leon government, who requested
anonymity, said on Thursday, 33 violent killings were recorded in
and around state capital Monterrey, an area of some four
million, on Wednesday.

Before then, the highest number recorded were 18, on
May 20, including 14 in a deliberate fire in a jail in Apodaca
town.

Many of Wednesday`s killings bore the signs of drug
gang vendettas, including the discovery of the mutilated
corpses of two bodyguards of State Governor Rodrigo Medina,
along with a message allegedly from the Gulf gang.

Parts of Mexico, particularly near the US border, have
seen a rise in suspected drug violence, with more than 37,000
deaths blamed on drug gangs since the launch of a military
crackdown on organized crime at the end of 2006.